1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the production of resins. The invention particularly relates to the production of sol-gel resins.
2. Background of the Art
The production of sol-gel resins can be difficult due to the lack of control during the gelation of the polymers. The polymerization necessary to produce a sol-gel may result in a form difficult to process further. In conventional sol-gel polymerizations of phenols and aldehydes, it is often necessary to make small batches since current technology requires that the sol-gel be formed as a monolith that would require extensive handling. This can be undesirable in commercial applications where economy is often found in scale.
It would be desirable in the art to be able to produce large batches of phenolic aldehyde sol-gel resins. It would be particularly desirable in the art to make such large batches. There continues to be a need in the art for new and improved methods for transforming the sol-gel from a monolith to a more suitable form for manufacture, packaging, and processing. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.